Saturday, July 11, 2009

An Alacrity with a lifting keel?

This is one of the posts I am transferring from the old site. However, as I find it quite interesting, I thought I'd bump this post up a little instead of hiding it in the archive. Maybe someone has any ideas about this boat now...

I got an email from Nick Bamer from the UK telling me about the boat he bought. He thinks it is an Alacrity, but it does not have twin keels but a lifting keel. A further examination showed that the boat also has a well for an outboard engine in the cockpit. The mast has been moved aft by some two feet or so and is now located at the same spot where the original configuration has the cabin roof vent.

Now, this surely does look like an Alacrity, does it not? Except for the keel of course.

This is the outboard well.

The centerboard or liftting keel case. Now, this pic also shows that the bunks are made of fiberglass and not wood. This does, in my opinion, indicate that it could in fact be a Vivacity and not an Alacrity. Still the former owner did state the boat's length at less than 19 feet, which is Alacrity size. The Viv is to be 20 feet long.

The forward part of the cabin. A double berth, again, making a point for the Vivacity case.

Finally the liftting keel. This of course does not help to indentify the boat. It could still be a Vivacity (remeber that the Viv did come in a fin keel version as well, while the Alacrity did not). However, the boat could also be some totally different prototype by Russel Marine, that never got into production.

Now, if anybody has any idea or more information about this particular boat, or any knowledge about any other Alacrities or Vivacites having been made in a lifting keel configuration, please do tell us!

2 comments:

Well, yes indeed. Some 33 years ago, i bought an Alacrity with a lifting keel and outboard well from a chap on Canvey Island. This chap had salvaged the boat after a storm had sunk her. He then converted her, which suited the mud flats in that area. This was the first of 3 Alacrity's that i have owned, she was called Curlew and sailed Smallgaines creek and the Ray off Southend on Sea with me for a few years until i sold her and bought a grp Kestrel. I now have the latest Alacrity which is nearly ready for the river Stour. Ted! tedbis@hotmail.com

Welcome

Welcome to the Alacrity blog. The site entails lots of information about this type of sailboat as well as cruise reports and pictures and stories from more than 40 owners from most parts of the world.

Since I moved to the UK in 2010, I had to sell my boat and have since taken up dinghy sailing, now sailing a Topper and a GP 14 in my local sailing club on the river Ouse in York, and occasionally other places. I am, however, keeping this blog and will occasionally update it if I find any abandoned Alacrities during my travels in the country.